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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

recipes.

another item on my to do list has been to get my recipes organized.  

they are such a headache.  really.  i have print outs and cookbooks and then there are the recipes my mom handed down to me.  i have them everywhere.  

so my question to you is, how are your recipes organized?

i've looked online for ideas about how people organize theirs.  and i've looked for websites where i can store them.  i even started a blog to store them.  but nothing has seemed to be just the right thing.

a few things/ideas that i've seen that i liked:
  • this idea on prudent baby. it looks great.  but i don't think i want to use such a large notebook.  
  • i like the idea of having an additional notebook of recipes to try.  that way i'm not wasting time typing up recipes and trying them only one time.  so if i just print out recipes and put them in a folder i can try them and only type them up if they are a sucess.
  • i like the idea of having a physical notebook - not just an online resource.
so where does that leave me?

nowhere, really.


i went to target and found this:


it's smaller than it looks in this picture.  i just realized when i uploaded these pictures that that looks like a full size notebook.  but it actually only holds two 4x6 photos.



it holds 200 pictures/recipes.

and i also bought some refill pages.



i like the notebook but i'm just not positive that it would be the best way to go.

plus, i'd kinda like the recipes to be on cute cards and i'm having trouble finding a template that i like.



and then, there's this idea.


i saw this website and it looks really good too.  you type up all your recipes on the website and you can save them there.  and then, you can design a recipe book to be printed using their templates.  and it looks like a real cookbook.  plus, you can insert new recipes later.  when you order the book you also get a certain number of extra pages.  so then, as you enter more recipes you can order them using your extra pages and they will be mailed to you.


the only thing i don't like about this option is that you only have them typed online and i would kinda like them being in a document so i could print them out if i wanted to.




okay, so long story short...


how do you organize your recipes?
is there anything you would do differently if you started over?
have you seen any good sites or blog posts about the best way?


any tips would be greatly appreciated :)

5 comments:

  1. If I started over? I've started over more times than I can count! Right now the system that works best for me is on my computer. When I find a recipe I like and want, I copy and paste it into a word document. Then I save them in different folders - chicken, red meat, seafood, pasta, sandwiches, etc. I've found that most of the magazines I typically get recipes from also have them available online. As I find one in the magazine, I go to their site and copy & paste it (eliminating the typing thing) to Word. I've recently started a folder called "Want to try soon" where I jot down the titles of recipes that I want to be sure to remember. One nice thing about Word is you can sort by date modified and quickly find ones you've recently saved that you might be lookind for.

    I also have a binder at home that was my first attempt. It's divided off with the same categories but I find it too cumbersome and too inefficient when it comes to adding new recipes.

    Good luck. It's always a work in progress in my world! I'll be anxious to hear what you decide on and what works for you.

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  2. Hey sweetie, First of all it is a great idea to go ahead and start now with getting your recipes in order. But I would ALWAYS keep family members recipes in their own handwriting when possible. It will mean the world to you someday. I have found that keeping them in a 3 ring notebook binder works well. Use dividers and separate by appetizers, breads, etc. Only put in ones that you LOVE! You can of course use the 4x6 plastic photo slips for the ones on recipe cards.
    Another tip: Leave room to write a little note:
    Worker man's fav, Dad's fav, or which holiday you made it for...,etc. ex: your maggot slaw recipe is notated that it came from you and your family. The memories that go with these recipes are just as sweet as the dish! Love, Nanny

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  3. I want to look at that Taste Book website. Why can't you do THAT and also print them off as you type them up?

    I like it when you put them on your recipe blog. That way YOU can use them and WE can too. You could always print them off as you enter them on your blog and keep them in a three ring binder.

    Just a thought. Mine is a mess!

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  4. Ashley's roommates did this for her.... They took her favorite recipes... asked me to send her favorite things that I make and all grandparents ..and made her a book she can add to... super cute idea!

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  5. I desperately need organizational help with my recipes. I love the recipe blog idea and would love to do that. And if YOU did that, we could all look at your recipes too. Decisions, decisions!

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